Late last week, Parker Backstrom found a Henslow's Sparrow at Rothsay WMA, Wilkin Co, and it was relocated by the VENT tour group on June 9. The location was just east of the traditional Greater Prairie-chicken lek: from the south side of the town of Rothsay, turn W on Wilkin Co Rd 26, go 4 mi and turn N on 300th Ave, go 2 mi and turn W on 190th St, then go 0.1 mi to the first 2-track road which goes N, and start listening along this road for the Henslow's song.
On Monday, we heard it from 0.1 mi up the 2-track road and saw it ~0.1 mi to the west. There were also several Le Conte's Sparrows singing in this same area. (Also note that earlier that day we were unable to relocate the previously-reported Burrowing Owl in Moorhead; we had also been unable to find it on June 6.) Then, on the evening of June 9, we heard 2 or 3 Yellow Rails (and saw one of these) in the McGregor Marsh in Aitkin Co. They were heard to the east of Hwy 65, 1 mi S of Hwy 210, and there is an ATV trail/road here which crosses the highway and provides walking access into the marsh (note that regular cars/vans/SUVs are not permitted on this road). We walked ~150 yards E on this trail and got close enough to the calling rails that we were able to see one of them without getting wet. This was the only location where we heard any Yellow Rails, and they did not start calling until ~10:45 pm. We did not hear the rail which had been calling (and which the Minn Birding Weekends group had seen) on May 31 close to the east side of Hwy 65, ~1/2 mi S of Hwy 210. There were, however, a few Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows still singing in this area on June 9. Elsewhere in Aitkin Co on June 10, we found a Black-backed Woodpecker along the Hedbom Forest Road, 2.4 mi W of the east gate/state forest sign, or 0.4 mi W of the St Louis Co line. (We had also heard from Kim Risen that there had recently been an Am Three-toed Woodpecker farther west of here along Hedbom, but the exact location was unclear and we did not find it.) Kim Eckert
